A Make-A-Wish Central New York Blog Celebrating Wishes

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Angela Townley officially started volunteering with Make-A-Wish in 2001. However, the relationship first started long before that. Angela established a relationship with Make-A-Wish Central New York in 1991 through her job at US Airways.

At that time, Angela and a group of other employees would send Wish families off on their flight. They would also hold 50/50 raffles to raise money to purchase items to make up activity bags for Wish Kids and any children traveling with them.

Angela has also played a crucial role in events such as the annual Sugarman Law Firm Wish Ball, Dunkin Donuts Program, and the Ms. Orange Fan Luncheon. Most of Angela’s volunteer time is spent creating the baskets that are raffled off at the annual golf tournaments.

For Angela, the reason she spends so much of her time volunteering is simple. “Over time I’ve seen that that not only the Wish Kid and family are impacted by the wish, but it has a tremendous impact on the volunteers and members of the community. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that recent studies indicate that the health of many Wish Kids improves after a wish has been granted.”

Ayden’s wish to go to Rome, Italy was a life-changing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. His wish trip meant more to him than just traveling to another country; visiting Italy was a dream realized! Ayden has contended with a cardiac condition for years. When he was first connected with Make-A-Wish, he was visited by wish-granting volunteers who asked him a special question: “If you could have one wish, what would it be?”

Although answering a question like that can sometimes take a while for a child to answer, Ayden knew exactly what his wish would be!

As an intern at Make-A-Wish, I have learned a lot about the organization, myself, and life. This internship was more than just gaining experience, or working in a professional environment, this experience has helped me to grow as an individual. I came into this position hoping to improve on communication skills, organization and adapting to new people and work. I knew I was going to have to make the drive from the State University of New York at Oswego three times a week to the office, but that never once phased me knowing I was helping an organization that does so much to ease the lives of others.

Domanic wanted nothing but to become a Carolina Panther for just one day. He has been a Panther’s fan for as long as he remembers. The Carolina Panthers were not only special to Domanic, but the team enriched his relationship with his father. Domanic and his father spent time bonding over watching the football games together for years.

When talking about his wish experience, Domanic says his favorite parts of the wish experience consisted of being in the locker room with the players and getting to hang out with them, as well as being on the field practicing with the team.

While Anna was going through treatment for a rare brain tumor, she spent months in Tennessee at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. At the start of treatment she was nothing but anxious about what she was going to endure without all of her family by her side. After learning the Make-A-Wish Foundation could make something she dreamed of come true when she completed treatment, she became excited and this changed everything for her!

With her family being split apart in two different states for so long, Anna dreamed of everyone being back together again. Her wish was to spend quality time with her mom, dad, sister and brother in a place she’s dreamt of visiting, Maui, Hawaii.

Flying like Tinker Bell in a plane, dining with Disney Princesses, meeting a star fairy, having unlimited carousel rides, being tucked into bed by bunnies, being chosen for a magical wand, and swimming with real-life mermaids…these are only a handful of the amazing moments we had on Alayah’s wish trip. Continue reading →

At the very moment your child receives a life-threatening diagnosis, life, as you know it, ceases to exist. As you slowly start to digest the conversation that you had with the doctor, you gradually find yourself falling into an unimaginably scary, deep, and never ending abyss. You start questioning everything – science, yourself, the environment, God. You wonder how you’re going to put one foot in front of the other, let alone care for the rest of your family. In your deepest despair, you silently debate whether or not anyone would care if you stayed in your room and never emerged. Continue reading →